Goodnight Moon
by snarkysweetness
Summary: "All of those stars and moons and planets are breathtaking, but do you want to know a secret? As mesmerizing as they all are, they have nothing on your mother. That's why her name is 'Skye' because she is more beautiful than all of the constellations combined. And guess what? So are you." Or just another night in the Ward house in which Grant Ward is [continued inside]


**Title:** Goodnight Moon  
 **Author:** snarkysweetness  
 **Rating:** PG-13  
 **Pairing:** Skyeward with the Ward kids  
 **Summary:** "All of those stars and moons and planets are breathtaking, but do you want to know a secret? As mesmerizing as they all are, they have nothing on your mother. That's why her name is 'Skye' because she is more beautiful than all of the constellations combined. And guess what? So are you." Or just another night in the Ward house in which Grant Ward is a sap who can't believe Skye blessed him by marrying him and giving him children.  
 **Warnings:** None.  
 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing.  
 **Author's Notes:** It's Father's Day! Which means family fluff!

"And that right there is Venus," Grant instructed, taking Alice's tiny hand and using it to point towards the night sky. They sat in front of her bay window, with him holding her in his arms. Her little eyes went wide as he continued to point out the different constellations and planets to their eager little princess.

"LOOK DADDY!" Alice cried, jumping in his lap, kneeing him in the stomach in the process. "That's Mercury," she said matter-of-factly, mispronouncing the planet, but her daddy didn't care.

Her big, tough, super spy winced in pain before ruffling Alice's hair with a smile. "That's right, baby girl. You're getting very good at this."

"I had a very good teacher," she replied happily before kissing his cheek.

"Daddy," she asked, pressing her face against the glass and staring up at the full moon. "When will we get to visit the stars? Like the Guardians of the Galaxy do?"

Skye did her best not to laugh and alert them to her presence and instead crossed her arms, wondering how her husband was going to get out of this one.

He stared at their oldest child in confusion, doing his best to scramble for an answer.

"Well, baby…you see…" he frowned, at a loss.

"Come here," he offered a moment later, scooping her up into his arms and carrying her over to the projector nightlight Jemma had gifted her and turned it on. The ceiling lit up with the different constellations and her eyes went wide as they did every time she saw them. Ever since she'd discovered her mommy was part-Alien she'd become obsessed with astronomy.

"See how beautiful the constellations are?" Alice nodded, staring up at the ceiling. "All of those stars and moons and planets are breathtaking, but do you want to know a secret?"

"YES!" Alice cried, pressing both of her hands on either side of her daddy's face, demanding his full attention as she met his eyes. "Tell me!"

Grant smiled and kissed her nose. "As mesmerizing as they all are, they have nothing on your mother. That's why her name is 'Skye' because she is more beautiful than all of the constellations combined."

"Mommy is magic," Alice agreed with a smile.

"Yes, she is, sweetheart. And guess what?"

"What?"

"So are you."

Alice giggled. "You're silly, daddy."

"I'm telling the truth. You're just as magical and gorgeous as your mother and with the two of you and your sister around, why would I ever want to leave Earth for the stars when they could never compare?"

Alice stared at him skeptically for a moment. "I guess that's true, but I still want to go, daddy."

"The only place you're going is to bed," Skye called out, deciding to save Grant before he promised her something Skye would not allow him to deliver on. She'd been to space, it was beautiful, sure, but it was dangerous as hell and she already had a hard time coping with raising children on Earth without throwing space-travel into the mix.

"Mommy!" Alice held her arms out, forgetting all about her daddy.

Grant pouted but handed her over. Skye smiled up at him and kissed his cheek. "Don't worry," she teased, "I think you're our son's favorite."

"No, I'm not; you're the one with the boobs," he grumbled.

"Oh, something you two have in common."

"Mommy, daddy said 'boobs'," Alice scolded.

Skye laughed and ruffled her curls as she lay her in bed.

"Don't worry, baby, mommy will give him a talking to."

"Good," she huffed, clutching her stuffed rabbit.

Grant leaned down and kissed Alice's cheek. "Goodnight, princess. I love you."

"I love you too, daddy."

"But not more than mommy?"

"No one loves anyone more than they do mommy."

"I can't argue with logic," Grant muttered and Skye rolled her eyes.

"Why don't you go check on the twins while I get this one to sleep?"

Alice sat up excitedly, reaching for the book on her nightstand. "I want to read to the babies!" She announced.

"Oh no, you're going to sleep," Skye insisted.

"But, mommy!" Alice whined, as if that would work on her. That pouty act worked on her father, grandfather, and uncles.

"Skye, what's the harm in letting her read to them for a few minutes?"

Skye glared in his direction, unamused with how big of a pushover he was.

"Because, Grant, the babies are asleep."

As if on cue Ellie's screams filled the air, quickly followed by James'. Skye pressed her eyes together, trying not to get mad.

"I'll get them," Grant insisted, leaving the room.

"I was a good baby," Alice offered with an exasperated sigh.

Skye picked her up and kissed her nose with a smile. "Yes, you were. I guess you can help mommy and daddy put them back to bed," she teased, tickling her tummy.

Alice giggled. "Mommy! That tickles!"

"It's supposed to," she teased, carrying her out of the room and down the hall to the nursery where poor Grant stood between the two cribs in a panic.

"Oh Grant, one isn't going to think you love the other one more if you don't pick them both up at the same time!" She cried out in exasperation. He needed to get over this thing where he was convinced they'd accidentally show one more love than the other.

Skye set Alice down in the rocker and went for their son, knowing a hungry cry when she heard it. She rocked him gently while fiddling with the nursing bra under her shirt. Once he was happily latched on she sat in the window seat with a sigh.

They'd just gotten to the stage where the one they had could be independent and then Grant Douglas Ward just _had_ to knock her up again.

The bastard.

"There you go, all better," Grant whispered from the changing table as he picked up a now-calm Ellie. He held her against his chest and she cooed loudly and happily.

"See, you're her favorite," Skye teased. Their youngest was a fussy little thing but the moment her papa was around she lit up.

Grant smiled and joined her in the bay window. "I guess even if I'm not, being second to you isn't that bad."

"Idiot," she muttered, leaning over to kiss him. He was a big sap and she loved him so much it made her heart ache sometimes. And these kids? She wouldn't give them up for anything.

"Time for a bedtime story, babies," Alice said, climbing up and sitting between them, making an 'eww kiss' face as they broke apart. Someone (Fitz) had convinced her that babies came from kissing and she was very opposed to even more crying siblings to compete with (though, the first time Ellie had grabbed her finger, Alice had smiled and declared her sister wasn't so bad and they could keep her so there was that at least).

"Baby girl, that might be a bit too advanced for them," Skye said, seeing she'd brought her favorite book _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ with her. "Why don't you grab something from the shelf?"

"Ugh," Alice groaned dramatically. "Babies are so dumb," she complained.

"Alice Linn Ward you be nice to your siblings," Skye warned. She'd been happy to be a big sister until the babies had arrived and she realized how much attention they needed and while she'd warmed to them she still had her little moments of petty jealousy and Skye was not going to have that under her roof. She loved them all equally and once they were all grown they were going to need each other. She wasn't sure if any of them would choose to go through the transformation but even if they didn't life was hard enough without having people who loved you by your side.

Alice frowned with a 'look' that reminded Skye of herself and jumped down, grumbling the entire time she searched the bookshelf. She stopped when something she liked caught her eye and she rushed back excitedly, shoving between them again.

"Okay, babies, since I have to share mommy and daddy with you you're at least going to like the same things I like!"

"Linn," Grant groaned but their precocious five-year-old ignored him.

"Goodnight room. Goodnight moon. Goodnight cow jumping over the moon. Goodnight light, and the red balloon ..."

Skye leaned back and closed her eyes while Alice read slowly to the babies. When Grant shook her, she woke to find a yawning Alice leaning against his side and both infants fast asleep.

"I'll put them all to bed, then you," he offered in a whisper.

"No, I'll help," she insisted but he was already standing and she was too tired to argue.

"Night, night sissy," Alice whispered, sitting up to kiss Ellie's fist. "I love you even though you cry too much."

Skye smiled and reached over to pull her against her. "You're a good sister," Skye teased, kissing the top of her head.

"The best," Alice insisted before kissing the top of James' head.

"I love you too, brother, even though you threw up on Madigan."

Skye rolled her eyes. Her and that damn rabbit.

"Come here, son," Grant whispered, carefully taking him from Skye's arms and carrying him off.

Skye stood, her legs tingling, having decided to go to sleep before she did. She reached for Alice but Grant swooped in and got to her first before taking Skye's hand. "Come on, sweetheart, I'll help you to bed." If he could carry them both Skye was sure he would.

She stopped at each crib and kissed each one goodnight before following Grant out of the room and carefully closing the door, leaving it open just enough for it to not click close and wake them.

"Do we need a story to fall asleep?" Grant asked, tucking a sleepy Alice into bed.

She shook her head through a yawn and reached for Madigan, clutching him to her chest. "Night daddy, night mommy."

"Night baby," he whispered, kissing the top of her head.

Skye did the same and stood in the doorway, making sure Alice was asleep before closing the door carefully. She leaned against the wall and yawned, sure she could sleep for a week.

"And you're sure you don't want more?" Grant teased.

"Don't even tempt fate by joking," Skye warned as he scooped her up into his arms. She buried her face in his neck as she squealed, not wanting to wake the kids.

"Grant," she hissed, unamused as he carried her to bed.

"I know my wife is an actual superhero," he teased, kissing her cheek, "but she is also producing food for two humans while raising them and a little know-it-all so the least I can do is put her to bed when she's exhausted."

Skye rolled her eyes as he pressed her into the mattress with a kiss.

"Oh no, not tonight, buddy," she warned, in no mood to let him get her pregnant again.

"You sure? I can talk really sexy to you."

"You wish," she snorted as he kissed her cheek.

"Just picture this: you and me on a beach somewhere, no one screaming for you take care of them, we both sleep in every morning, and someone brings us real meals that we don't have to cook ourselves."

Skye let out an involuntary moan. "Okay, keep going."

Grant smiled and kissed her. "Go take a bath and use those ear-plugs I bought you; if they wake up there's breast milk in the fridge. You should get some sleep."

He was really good with the two a.m. feedings and diaper changes and she did her best to sleep through the crying but the second she heard it she was up out of instinct. They'd been through this before and she knew it would be a good three years before she had a good night's sleep. He was sweet for wanting to change that but she knew what she'd signed up for when she'd decided to have them.

"I'm too tired for that," she muttered, crawling under the covers. She'd been headed to bed when she'd went to find what was taking him so long to put Alice to bed and now she couldn't even move to get up to pee. She was going to start wearing those damn adult diapers to bed so she could sleep in peace for more than an hour.

Grant turned off the lights and climbed into bed, wrapping his arms around her as he kissed her cheek. "Goodnight, sweetheart. I love you."

"Love you too," Skye muttered, hoping that magic he was so convinced she possessed would keep their kids asleep for at least three hours so she could recharge.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"For what?" She said through a yawn.

"Loving me. Marrying me. Giving me three perfect children. Saving the world every other day."

Skye smiled and turned to bury her face against his chest. "And thank you for staying home with Alice for the past few years so I could do that."

"I'll stay home with these two too; you're the hero the world needs and I'm happy to be raising the next batch of super heroes."

Skye smiled and leaned up to press a kiss to his lips.

"Who are just as magical as me?" She teased.

He winced. "You heard that?"

"I did; it was beautiful and you're so full of crap."

"I was telling the truth."

"Hmm," she teased as she pulled him down for a kiss. "If I could keep my eyes open I'd let you show me how magical you think I am."

"As tempting as that sounds, the only thing sexier than you is getting more than an hour of sleep."

She hated when he was right.

Skye reached up and kissed him goodnight before curling up at his side and closing her eyes. He wrapped himself around her and kissed her temple, holding her close while he hummed a lullaby to lull her to sleep.

Maybe it was true she was the one with the magic of the stars running through her veins but this man she'd chosen to share her life with was pretty magical in his own ways. And when she woke up to find the sun peeking through the windows and her husband passed out next to her with a baby against his chest she was reminded that there was nothing in the universe that compared to this wonderful man she loved.


End file.
